Yesterday, new fighters joined the Aerial Defense Formation, ready to secure the skies and battle missile launchings and rocket threats. After long weeks of exhaustive training, they stood at the Western Wall as they made the long-awaited oath

Shir Aharon Bram

The young soldiers stand in perfectly organized rows, lines and lines of beige uniforms and grey berets. They are holding their weapons; their eyes are filled with pride. The echoing scream of “I swear! I swear! I swear” shakes up the grounds of the western wall, and there you have it–the new fighters of the Aerial Defense Formation have taken the oath and are officially apart of the IAF family.

Amongst the ecstatic soldiers is Private Rafael Avraamov, who arrived all the way from Great Britain, and Meir Brichter who came all the way from Canada-all in order to join the IDF. “The location of the ceremony only adds to its emotional ambience”, said head of human resources in the IAF, Brigadier General Ilan Boger, who attended the ceremony for the first time. The word ’emotional’ could hardly describe it.

The basic stages of training are almost over, and now the fighters go through qualification courses which will allow them to utilize the systems of the Aerial Defense Formation: Stinger, Patriot, Hawk and Iron Dome. “Today, you are joining the battle lines of the Aerial Defense Formation, which operates in a unique and diverse scale of missions-including bringing down airplanes, intercepting of rockets and exposure for precaution”, said Brigadier General Doron Gavish, Commander of the Formation, to the new soldiers. “We are now in the beginning phases of major enhancements. Amongst other things we are facing the next generation of Arrow missiles and the development of ‘Magic Wand’. You shall be motivated and confident, since you’ll be the fighters who keep this country safe 24/7”.

A special visitor joined the ceremony; First Sergeant Hagar Zohar, an instructor in the Aerial Defense Academy which was injured in Independence Day rehearsals up in Mount Herzl. “Hagar, your recovery was splendid and it showed what a real fighter and excellence is”, said Brigadier General Gavish to Hagar. “We are waiting for you to come back and are very proud of you”.